It’s Not a Plane, It’s Not a Star – It’s a Satellite

Feb 06, 2018, 3:10 PM

Soon you will see a new, bright light in the night sky. However, it is not a star or even a plane. According to Popular Mechanics, it’s a satellite sent to orbit by New Zealand company Rocket Lab. The small satellite, called the Humanity Star, is a carbon fibre, geodesic sphere made of 65 highly reflective panels. As it orbits, the Humanity Star spins rapidly and reflects sunlight back to Earth.

Rocket Lab Founder and CEO Peter Beck hopes this satellite will encourage people to consider their place in the universe and reflect on their lives and humanity as a species.

“Seldom do we as a species stop, look to the stars and realize our position in the universe as an achingly tiny speck of dust in the grandness of it all,” said Beck in a statement on the Humanity Star website. “Humanity is finite, and we won't be here forever. Yet in the face of this almost inconceivable insignificance, humanity is capable of great and kind things when we recognize we are one species, responsible for the care of each other, and our planet, together. The Humanity Star is to remind us of this.”

The Humanity Star is best visible to the United States in March, so make sure to keep a look out. You can also track the Humanity Star to find out when it is most visible for your location. However, don’t wait too long. The Humanity Star will only orbit the earth for nine months, before it falls back to earth and burns up upon re-entry into the atmosphere.